[44] Portland MSS., vol. I, 69.
The King was of the same opinion as to Newcastle’s superfluity of weapons, and wrote to him asking for a supply; but he did not receive any, and Newcastle pleaded that he had none to spare. Charles then wrote:—[45]
“New Castell....
“I give you free leave to disobey my warrants for issewing Armes; for what I have done in that, was in supposition that you had anow for your selfe and your frends; but having not, I confess Charity begins at home. I wonder to heare you say that there ar few Armes in that Country, for when I was there, to my knowledge there was twelve thousand of the Trained Bands (except some few Hotham gott into Hull) compleat, besydes those of particular men; therefor in God’s name inquyre what is becume of them, and make use of them all; for those who ar well affected will willingly give, or lend them to you; and those who ar not, make no bones to take them from them.”
[45] Harl. MS. 6988, art. 75. Orig.
As to men, Newcastle was also successful. The Duchess says:—
“Amongst the rest of his Army, My Lord had chosen for his own Regiment of Foot, 3,000 of such Valiant, stout and faithful men (whereof many were bred in the Moorish-grounds of the Northern parts) that they were ready to die at my Lord’s feet, and never gave over, whensoever they were engaged in action, until they had either conquer’d the Enemy or lost their lives. They were called Whitecoats, for this following reason: My Lord being resolved to give them new Liveries, and there being not red Cloth enough to be had, took up so much of white as would serve to cloath them, desiring withal, their patience until he had got it dyed; but they impatient of stay, requested my Lord, that he would be pleased to let them have it un-dyed as it was, promising they themselves would die it in the Enemies Blood: Which request my Lord granted them, and from that time they were called White-Coats;” or, sometimes, she might have added, “Newcastle’s Lambs”.
She tells us in another place that “Within a short time, my Lord formed an Army of 8,000 Foot, Horse and Dragoons, and put them into a condition to march in the beginning of November, 1642. No sooner was this effected, but the Insurrection grew high in Yorkshire, in so much, that most of His Majesties good subjects of that County, as well the Nobility as Gentry, were forced for the preservation of their persons, to retire to the City of York, a walled Town, but of no great strength.”
Before going to York Newcastle had to leave about half his army behind him. Clarendon says: “having left a good garrison at Newcastle, and fixed such small garrisons in his way, as might secure his communication with that port, to which all his ammunition was to be brought, with a body of near 3,000 foot, and 600 or 700 horse and dragoons, without any encounter with the enemy (though they had threatened loud) he entered York, having lessened the enemy’s strength, without blood, both in territories and men”. Two regiments, which had been raised for the enemy, dissolved on his approach.
Newcastle then settled down for the winter, “yet,” says Clarendon, “few days passed without blows, in which the parliament forces had usually the worst”. But not always; for, if the following statement be true, Newcastle’s forces were on one occasion repulsed in a manner of which the description reads like a page from Don Quixote.